Motion picture mechanism for projecting motion pictures



Nov. 9, 1943. L. A. McNABB 2,333,728

MOTION PICTURE MECHANISM FOR PROJECTING MOTION PICTURES Filed Sept. 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 f W w W NVENTDR LEILJIE A. MEN/ma Nov. 9, 1.943. I... A. M NABB MOTION PICTURE MECHANISM FOR IROJECTING MOTION PICTURES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, l94l J ATTY RB DB A m v NM 1 A E U U L Patented Nov. 9, 1943 MOTION PICTURE MECHANISM FOR PROJEOTIN G MOTION PICTURES Louis A. McNabb, Evanston, Ill., assignor to The Bell & Howell Company, Chicago, Ill a corporation of Illinois Application September 8, 1941, Serial No. 410,049 i (01. 88-193) 3 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to motion picture mechanism for projecting motion pictures for television scanning, and has for its general object the provision of such a mechanism which increases the projection frequency without correspondingly increasing the feed frequency of the film being projected, toward the end of attaining a desirable relatively high television scanning frequency without undesirably increasing the feed frequency of the film.

With this object in view, my invention consists in certainfeatures of novelty by which the said object and certain other objects, hereinafter appearing, are effected, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the said drawings- Figure l is a partial top plan sectional view of a motion picture projecting machine embodying my invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view of the shutter elements of my invention, showing them in different positions than those in which they are shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the functioning of my invention.

Referring to the drawings, l designates generally the frame of a motion picture projecting machine which is provided at'the rear thereof with a lamp housing 2 having therein a source of light in the form of an incandescent electric lamp 3. See Figure 1. Disposed forwardly of the lamp house is a film feed guide 4 adapted to have a motion picture film 5 fed therethrough and provided with a projection aperture 6 through which light from the lamp 3 is projected forwardly through a condensing lens unit I as is usual. The film 5 is intermittently fed through the guide 4, as is usual in motion picture mecha nism to bring successive frames or pictures of the film into registry with the aperture 6 by means of an intermittent film feed mechanism, see Figure 1 and 2, consisting of a toothed feed shuttle 8 mounted for reciprocating feed movement vertically of the guide and for oscillating film engaging and disengaging movement in a horizontal plane, a revoluble feed cam 9 operative o the shuttle to vertically reciprocate the same, a revoluble cam ll operative on the shuttle to oscillate the same, a gear I2 fixed with the feed cam 9, and a gear l3 fixed with the cam H and meshing with the gear l2 for rotating the cams in timed relation.

The film feed mechanism, shown is similar to that disclosed and claimed in U. S. Patent #1,680,295, issued August 14, 1928, on application of Albert S. Howell, and requires no'further de scription for the present purpose except to state that the gear [3 is larger than the gear l2, as shown in the ratio of three to one, so that the shuttle 8 is engaged with the film 5 to feed the same but once during each three revolutions of the feed cam 9, thus efiecting a relatively short film feed period.

A rotatably mounted light shutter disk l4, provided with but one light opening I5, is operatively related with the projection aperture 6 of the guide 4 at the rear of the guide and between the aperture and the lamp 3, and is rotated in phase relation with the intermittent feed mechanism to cut off the projection light during feeding of the film in the guide by means of a gear [B secured with the shutter disk and meshing with the gear l3. f

A second rotatably mounted shutter disk ll, provided with but one light opening H9, is operatively related with the projection aperture 6 of the guide 4 forwardly of the guide, and a projection lens 20 alined with the aperture 6, and is rotated in phase relation with the intermittent feed mechanism and the shutter disk 14 by means of a gear is fixed with the disk I1 and meshing with a gear 2| fixed on a revoluble shaft 22, and a gear 23 fixed on the shaft 22 and meshing with the gear IS. The shutter disks and the intermittent feed mechanism are driven from a drive shaft 24 by means of a gear 25 fixed on the drive shaft and meshing with a gear 26 fixed with the shutter disk I1. I

The ratio of the gears l2 and I6 is such that the exposure frequency of the shutter disk Mexceeds the feed frequency of the intermittent feed mechanism in a ratio of at least one and a fraction of the exposure frequency to one of the feed frequency. As shown, the pitch diameter of the gear I2 is five-sixths that of the gear [6, so that the exposure frequency of the shutter disk I4 is two and one-half times the feed frequency of the intermittent feed mechanism, it being noted that the feed cam 9 effects a feed movement of the film 5 but once during each three revolutions of the feed cam.

The gears l9, 2|, 23, I3 and I6 are so proportioned that the shutter disk 11 rotates a plurality oi revolutions, as shown two, to one revolution of the shutter disk M, the shutter disk l1 thus having a plurality, as shown two, of exposure cycles to one exposure cycle of the shutter disk H.

The feed period of the intermittent feed mechanism, of course, occurs during the non-exposure periods of the shutter disks [4 and I1, and the shutter disks are timed so that the light openings I5 and i8 thereof simultaneously register with the projection apertures of the film guide, see Figure 1, for picture projection once during each exposure cycle or revolution of the low speed shutter disk I4, the light opening 48 of the high speed shutter disk H registering-with the-:prw jection aperture during the non-exposure period of the shutter disk I4 during alternate revolutions of the shutter disk [1, as shownin Figure 3.

The exposure period of the shutter disk 14 is greater than that of the shuttondiskfl and-oven laps that of the latter in both directions so that the shutter disk I! functions to cut on and 'cut off the promotion and effectsa relatively short projection period. The axis of the, shutter disk, H is spaced from theexposure aperture Sta-greater distance than is the axis 0f the shutter tdisk t4 and, because-0f "this condition. and the fact: that the shutterdisk i1 hasa, relativelyrsreatangnlar speed, the cotton andcutofi 0f the projection, is correspondingly quick, the high angular speed-of the shutter disk If! permitting the same-toflbe of smaller diameter than would otherwise be the cas for a, correspondingcuton. andcut omspeed.

Preferably, one of the shutter disks, assshownthe shutter disk I4, is disposed at therearof the film guide 4 and between. th aperture 6 of the guide and the lightprojecting means, cxemplh fied by the lampv 3, so that this. shutter disk acts as a fire shutter duringthe non-projectionperiods of the mechanism to prevent, damage-tome. 5 from overheating.

Referring to Figure 4, the horizontal line 3|, indicates the functioning, oi the-flowspecdshubter disk t4, th exposure neriodsof which are indicated at 32; the horizontal line indicates the functioning of the intermittent feed mechanism, the feed periods ofwhinhore indicatedat 34.; they horizontallinesfi indicates the functioning of the high, speed shutter disk l.|, the exposure periods of which are indicated at iiiand the space between the vertical lines 3'Ii and H imdica/teone feed cycle the feed mechanism and the space between the vertical lines 3G and 39. indicate a sueceedingfeed cyclegoii the feed mechanism.

As will be seen,v the shutter disk It has; a.

term exposure frequency of two and oneehalfi times that of; the uniform feed frequency of the. feed, mechanism, and the shutter diski H has, a. uniform exposure frequency ofa'twiceithatoi the shutterdisk I 6 andihas. alternate: exposurepeflods thereof; registering. simultaneously with. the shutter disk; I4;, with. 911B: result, that picture. projections, indicated at 4-! occur at; a oftwo, and one-halftimes the-teed fr quency Ofi the feed mechanism.

For; television, it is contemplated: that p c r be pr jec ed) up n, a fluorescent screen, not shown, which jretainsapictune; aishort period- O time, the p cture ima es;- n; thescncenbein s anncd for-televisiom in, a suitable: manner by alternate odd. and; even-Wscans indicated re: spectively at 42 and 43 in Figure handlthe Ver tical blanking time of the scanning occurrin during h pr ifictiqn periods: 4.1 which; one of relativelyshont duration.

In; television, it. is; usual to: make; two sans,

(respectively odd and even) for each motion picture frame fed or presented for projection. Motion picture feed or presentation frequency has been more or less standardized, particularly where sound motion pictures are employed, say, at twenty-four frames per second. Likewise, television has been more or less standardized, say,-to a scanning frequencyof sixty scans per second. Assuming two scans per motion picture frame presented for projection at a presentation frequency of twenty-four per second, the scannin'gifrequenoy is only forty-eight per second.

:My invention, by effecting a motion picture projection frequency exceedin the feed or presentation frequency in a, ratio of at least one and a 'fraction of'the projection frequency to one of the feed orpresentation frequency, meets the the above -situationinstantly the projection frequency exceeding the feed or presentation frequency in the ratio of two and one-half of the projection frequency to one of the presentation frequency, with the result that, assuming a feed or presentation frequency of twentyfour frames per SGGQHdpth-B projection or scanning frequency is. the equivalent of a feed or presentation frequency of thirty framesper sec- 0nd at "two projections or scans per 'feed or-presentation.

While I have thus described. my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the precise dietails described, as changes may be readily made without departing from the; spirit of my invention, but having thus described my invention, 1 claim, as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent the following;

i. In a. motion picture projecting mechanism, the combination .with a projection apertured film guide and means for projecting light from the. rear and forwardly through the projection aperture of said guide, of-a revoluhle light shutter disk operatively related with said aperture at the rear of said guide and between said aperture and said light projecting means, a. second. revoluble lightv shutter disk operati-vely related with said. aperture; forwardly of. said guide, means for intermittenthz feeding a motion picture film through said guide, means for actuating. said shutter disks, in phase relation and said, second shutter disk a plurality of.- exposure cycles. to one of said first mentioned shutter disk and operative to simultaneously register, light openings of. said disks with. said. aperture once during each exposure cycle of said first mentioned shutter disk, and means for actuating said feeding; means and said first mentioned shutter disk in phase relation and said first mentioned shutter disk at an exposure frequency exceeding the feed'. frequency of said: feeding means in a ratio of at least one and" additionally 'a fraction of said exposure frequency to one of the feed frequency.

2; In a motion picture projector, the combination a projection apertured' film guide and means'forprojecting' light from the rearand forward-1y through the projectiim aperture of said guide, o'fa revolu-ble light shutter disk operatively related with said apertureat the rear of said guideand between said aperture and: said light projectingmeans and) provided with but one light opening, a second revcluble' light shutter disk operatively related with: said aperture. forwardly of said guide "and prcwided with but one light opening; and: means for rotating said shutter dislm in phase relationand said second disk a plurality ofi revolution-s to) one revolution: of said 75, first mentionedidisk. and: operative to simultaneously register the light openings of said disks with said aperture once during each revolution of said first mentioned disk, the exposure period of said first mentioned disk being greater than that of said second disk and overlapping that of said second disk in both directions, and the axis of said second disk being spaced from said aperture a greater distance than is the axis of said first mentioned disk.

3. In a motion picture projecting mechanism, the combination with a projection apertured film guide and means for projecting light from the rear and forwardly through the projection aperture of said guide, of a revoluble light shutter disk operatively related with said aperture at the rear of said guide and between said aperture and said light projecting means, a second revoluble light shutter disk operatively related with said apersaid first mentioned shutter disk, and means for actuating said feeding means and said first mentioned shutter disk in phase relation and said first mentioned shutter disk at an exposure frequency exceeding the feed frequency of said feeding means in the ratio of two and one-half times of the exposure frequency to one of the feed frequency.

LOUIS A. McNABB. 

